Vertical-type file folder



Jan. 27, 1953 J. s. MGTAVISH ETAL 2,626.610

, Filed Feb. 2, 1949 VERTICAL-TYPE FILE HOLDER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1Inventors J OHN S- McTAVISH ALBERT H. PHAM by M to ney Jan. 27, 1953 J.5. MOTAVISH EI'AL 2,626.610

VERTICAL-TYPE FILE HOLDER Filed Feb. 2, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET z InventorsJOHN s. ucTAvIsH ALBER'I n. worm by A Attorney Patented Jan. 27, 19532,626,610 VERTICAL-TYPE FILE FOLDER John S. McTavish and Albert H.Topham, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, assignors to The Olfice SpecialtyMfg. Company Limited, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada Application February 2,1949, Serial No. 74,204 In Canada November 1, 1948 6 Claims. (Cl.129-1617) This invention relates to improvements in a vertical-type filefolder and appertains particularly to the hanger rods therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide a vertical file folder withimproved hanger rods that besides suspending the folder in the filecabinet drawer can also connect it with the file or files next to it,immediately to the front and/or rear of it in the filing cabinet drawer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hanger rod for thispurpose that is releasably engageable with the confronting rod of theadjacent file, the rods being of identical form with alternate onesinverted.

A further object of the invention is to provide an interlocking typehanger rod for file folders that is formed to ride on the usual siderails of the file cabinet drawer in either its primary or invertedposition.

' A further object of the invention is to provide hanger rods forvertical file folders that are .interlockable, to unite a series offiles in accordion-like arrangement, and instantly releasable from suchengagement by relative vertical movement yet securely held againstaccidental horizontal displacement.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a verticalfile folder, and particularly the hanger rods therefor, of the natureand for the purposes set forth that is characterized by structuralsimplicity, durability and eificiency, ease of operation and low cost ofproduction, whereby the same is rendered commercially desirable.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall becomeapparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall behereinafter more fully described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and

pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly describedwhen reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosurewherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Figures 4 and 5 are detail perspective views of the interlocking ends ofa pair of rods, one being in relatively inverted position;

Figure 6 is a detail perspective elevation of these two rod ends lockedtogether; and

Figure 7 is a plan of the rod end seen in Figure 4.

The file folders here shown are of simple or conventional design beingformed from a rectangular sheetof fibrous material folded on itstransverse median 2 and the free edges 3 of the leaves doubled back andmarginally secured to the leaves to provide shallow open-ended channels4 for the length thereof. Hanger rods 5 are threaded through thesechannels, being of a length to project from both ends thereof, and it isby these projecting ends of the rods that the file folders aresuspended, as upwardly opening pockets, in the filing cabinet drawer onside rails 6 or similar supports set as a frame-work into the filingcabinet drawer or incorporated in the structure thereof.

This invention deals with these rods 5 and especially the formation ofthe opposite ends thereof. Formed as by stamping of a single strip ofsheet metal the body 1 is relatively flat and thin, continuing unbrokenfor the length of the file folders hollow edge fold or channel 4 throughwhich it passes. The ends 8 have companion recesses 9 on both top andbottom vertical edges by which they may rest with equal security likehooks on the side rails 6 in either vertical position, since it isdesired that alternate rods'be relatively inverted.

Between the straight body portion 1 and the respective oppositerail-receiving recessed ends 8, the rod is laterally angularly ofiset asat In a distance not less and preferably substantially more than thethickness of the strip of material from which it is formed. Both endsare offset in the same direction and the body of the rod is of suchlength that the step or offset It. lies just beyond the file leafchannel through which the rod passes and serves therefore to prevent theaccidental longitudinal displacement of the rod.

This offset ill on each end of the rod is then cut identical rods areused in both leaf channels of the file, only one is inverted in relationto the other. Furthermore, the rods are arranged in each case with theconfronting ends offset outwardly so that contactable ends ofinterlockable rods of immediately adjacent files approach each other,actually spacing individual files a wee bit and facilitating theattaching of adjoining single files together in the so-c-alled accordionarrangement by a relative vertical movement hooking.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be manifest that an improved interlockable hanging rodfor vertical file folders is provided that will fulfil all the necessaryrequirements of such a device, but as many changes could be made in theabove description and many apparently widely different embodiments ofthe invention may be constructed within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it isintended that all matters contained in the said accompanyinspecification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limitative or restrictive sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A vertical file folder for use with others in releasable,interlocked, concertina arrangement on spaced horizontal side rails andcomprising a folder with rod-receiving means along a pair of oppositefree edges, a pair of identical hanger rods one for each such edge,usable one in upright and the other in relatively inverted positionrespectively, said rods having ends projecting beyond the margins ofsaid folder and laterally oifset, said oifset ends having recesses onboth upper and lower edges to hook in the same manner on said rails ineither primary upright or inverted position and vertical rod-receivingnotches in said rods beyond the mar in of said folder and short of therecessed, offset ends, whereby the oppositely oifset ends of a pair ofrods one'from each of adjacent file folders and one of which rods isupright and the other in relatively inverted position lie crossed overone another in looking embrace with said notches inter-nested.

2. For vertical file folders usable with spaced supporting side rails, ahanger rod having laterally oifset ends, rail-accommodating companionrecesses on both top and bottom of said ofiset ends, the offsetting stepbetween said rod and said offset ends being angular and laterallyoffsetting said ends a distance not less than the thickness of said rodand companion rod-receiving configurations associated with said angularoffsetting steps whereby alternate hanger rods in relatively invertedposition may be releasably joined by in- 4 terengagement of saidrod-receiving configurations.

3. The combination with the structure set forth in claim 2 wherein saidinterlockin means consists of a notch in the offsetting step at each endof the rod just wider than the thickness of the rod and extending forone-half the height thereof.

4. The combination with the structure set forth in claim 2 wherein therods are used one in upright and the other in relatively invertedposition and the ends of the rods are offset by an angularly disposedoifsetting step and wherein the interlocking means consists of avertical notch in such angularly disposed offsetting step, so that therod ends of adjoining file folders are vertically engageable inoverlapping relation and with the companion recesses of opposite edgesof the respective rods in registry.

5. The combination with the structure set forth in claim 2 wherein theends are laterally oifset both in the same direction and for a distanceat least as great as the thickness of the rod, by an angularly disposedoffsetting step and wherein the interlocking means consists of avertifical notch in such angularly disposed offsetting 5 ep.

6. A vertical-type file folder for use with a spaced pair of side railscomprising a folder with rod-receiving means along a pair of oppositefree edges, a hanger rod for each such ed e having opposite endsprojecting beyond the margins of said folder for support on said siderails, the ends of each rod having a laterally offset step offsettingthem in the same direction and for a distance as great as the thicknessof the rod and having beyond the offest step a rail-accommodating recesson both top and bottom edges whereby a rod may hook in the same manneron the side rails whether it be in upright or relatively invertedposition, said rod also having a notch in the offset step near each endthat extends for half the height of the rod and of a width at leastequal to the thickness of the rod; said rods being useable in pairshaving the same upright position when the offset ends of adjacent rodsmay nest or be useable with alternate rods in relatively invertedposition when the offset ends of adjacent rods may interlock in crossedrelation with the notches sliding into one another.

JOHN S. MCTAVISH. ALBERT H. TOPHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,247,593 Weber July 1, 19412,318,077 Jonas May 4, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 53,341Holland Oct. 15, 1942 112,585 Sweden Oct. 5, 1944 566,333 Great BritainDec. 22, 1944

